After a trip to Tiananmen Square, Times columnist Harvey Araton wrote about the media policy for reporters covering the Knicks that the Observer chronicled back in November (quick refresher: reporters were restricted from speaking to a player or an MSG employee without a P.R. person present with a BlackBerry in hand to take notes).

On a trip to Tiananmen organized by the Main Press Center for the Olympics, Mr. Araton learned of a newly installed rule:

On the bus, the project manager of the news desk at the Main Press Center, Wu Kun, aka Roy, announced that there was a new system in place for conducting interviews inside Tiananmen.

 read more »

Isiah Thomas, who coached the Knicks to one of their worst seasons in franchise history this year, has been fired, the AP reports.

The dismal performance of the New York Knicks has hurt the fan-fueled business of Irish pubs near Madison Square Garden, according to the Sunday Times.  read more »

Today, Donnie Walsh was named the new president of the New York Knicks, which means for the MSG beat reporters who cover the team, the place might feel a little less like hell.

The Times' Howard Beck--who told the Observer in November that covering the Knicks was a "miserable" assignment--just published a story on Mr. Walsh's hiring, and tells us what it means for his cohort:  read more »

The New York Knicks’ decision to hire longtime Pacers’ executive Donnie Walsh to run basketball operations should fill Knicks fans with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

Fortunately, the team has nowhere to go but up, and the fan base’s wish list is likely smaller than it has ever been. No demands for a championship. Basketball that is merely watchable will be a cause for celebration.

Walsh brings an undeniable record of success with him—while Indiana has not won an NBA title, the Pacers have been to the playoffs all but two seasons with Walsh in the front office since 1989-90.  read more »

Ante up!

Now suddenly everyone is interested in Newsday. The New York Times is reporting that a Manhattan media blockbuster trio is "in discussions" to buy the Melville-based newspaper: Rupert Murdoch, James Dolan and Mort Zuckerman. Sam Zell decides who's the winner.

It sets up a satisfying auction between Mr. Murdoch (Post-owner) and Mr. Zuckerman (Daily News-owner) and Mr. Dolan, who owns MSG, the Knicks, Rangers and Cablevision.  read more »

The fight to revoke the nearly $11 million tax break enjoyed by the owners of Madison Square Garden, who also own the Knicks and the Rangers, is on. Both Michael Bloomberg and Christine Quinn want it gone, as do a number of other politicians. This morning, Councilman Lew Fidler distributed this top 10 list of things the owners can do with the money from the tax break:

   read more »

The New York Knicks' media-relations team picked favorites over the weekend.

Three papers--The Times, the Post and Newsday--got the scoop that Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan informed Knicks head coach Isiah Thomas that his job was safe. All three papers attributed the news to the same source ("a high-ranking Garden official"), and included the detail that Mr. Dolan compared Mr. Thomas to once-embattled New York Rangers general manager and coach Glenn Sather. The other two papers that cover the team as a beat, the Daily News and the Bergen Record, missed out...  read more »

Basketball inferno: 4-9 team, Thomas’ harassment, hostile Dolans; reporters claw at exits: News’ Isola exiled, Post’s Vaccaro: ‘A gulag’; Times’ Beck: ‘Beat makes me miserable’; Star-Ledger halts coverage.  read more »

Sure, Isiah should go, but so should almost everyone else.  read more »